Video ads may be taking over tablets, too. New York Times iPad app the first to receive the treatment

In a move to jumpstart a viral campaign for their upcoming show, Ray Donovan, the Showtime network has partnered with advertising platform Medialets in an effort to create the first complete video ad takeover of one of the most popular news apps – the New York Times for the iPad.

For a single day only, the network behind the premiering show has bought out every single advertising slot on NYT's iPad app, focusing months of collaboration between the partnership and Times' Vice President – Todd Haskell. According to a Times' spokesperson, the reach of the app peaks at 1.3 million people per month.

As to be expected, some may construe this type of advertising as overtly incursive and it will no doubt win itself some enemies. On the bright side, the 26 unique videos are masterfully integrated within the app causing no further offense. A solace to most, the videos do start muted, but once you immerse yourself with them, informational nodes will appear throughout the length of each clip. Clicking on those will help familiarize you with the background of particular characters and give you an overview of what to expect with the show. Mashable also reports that each video ends with a download link allowing you to get your hands on the first episode of the series, pro bono.

A phone interview for Mashable has the Times' VP shedding a little more light on the thinking behind the campaign:



When asked about the rationale of executing the campaign over their iPad app instead of NYT's website, Haskell reasons that tablet engagement differs inasmuch as, comparatively, tablet users watch more videos and according to him, on average, both spend more time per session and are willing to delve deeper into content.

Should this endeavor prove successful with users, we can imagine more companies following through. Prefer your world a bit more static? We suggest you first take a look at the demo below. Let us know what you think in the comment section underneath!



source: Mashable